Miami
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The Dallas Mavericks handed the Miami Heat their first loss of the season behind 41 points from Dirk Nowitzki in a painful game that saw Dwyane Wade injured in the fourth quarter and wearing a boot afterwards. He is questionable for tonight's game though he tallied 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in the 113-93loss to Dallas.
Dallas's Erick Dampier, who describes himself as the second-best center in the league trailing only Shaq, played only 17 minutes and got 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 fouls. Shaq totaled 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots.
Though the Heat had more points in the paint (42 vs. 30), more fast break points (19 vs. 7), more field goal attempts (86 vs. 79), more three point field goal attempts (19 vs. 17), more free throws attempted (33 vs. 26) and made (23 vs. 21), more offensive rebounds (18 vs. 10), more steals (8 vs. 5), and fewer turnovers (10 vs. 14), it was their low shooting percentage (37.2 percent vs. 51.9 percent) that killed them.
"Offense wasn't the problem in the first half," Shaq toldThe Miami Herald. "Our defense was not even decent in the first half."
The Big Diesel also had words for Don Nelson, the Dallas head coach: ''It's not annoying because in the long haul of my career, he has never beaten me. He will never beat me. When it's all said and done, I'll have five [championships] and he'll have none."
NEXT GAME
The Heat (4-1) travel to Texas to take on their next Lone Star opponent as they face the San Antonio Spurs (3-1). Tim Duncan thought the move of Shaq to the East means he'd face him less, but he does still have to face him. This will be the second of a back-to-back game, and a road game to boot, but Shaq is still Shaq, so watch out Timmy. The game is TONIGHT, Friday, November 12, and starts at 8:00pm Eastern. It will be broadcast on the Sunshine Network and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
It’s Heat Dancer weekend November 12 through 14! Start off the weekend at the Heat Road Rally (presented by Bacardi) at Mr. Moe’s in Coconut Grove, as they battle Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, November 12.
The Pizza Hut/Heat Family Meal Deal enters its third season as one of the best values for getting Heat tickets. For just $64 you get 4 Heat Tickets, 4 Pizza Hut arena pizzas, 4 regular soft drinks, and 4 Pizza Hut coupons. That's a savings of $34!
INJURY UPDATE
Jerome Beasley(undisclosed),Matt Freije(respiratory) andDorell Wright(abdomen) are on the Heat's injured list.Dwyane Wade(ankle) is wearing a boot and is questionable for tonight's game.
Israel Gutierrez ofThe Miami Heraldwrites: More crucial than the season's first loss or the team snapping its franchise record 14-game home winning streak is the potential loss of Dwyane Wade for a significant amount of time.The Heat's leading scorer left the game in the fourth quarter and was wearing a protective boot after it. He sprained his left ankle, and his status for tonight's game is uncertain.
Art Garcia ofThe Ft. Worth Star-Telegramwrites: Why Dallas won: The Mavericks snatched control of the game early and never let Miami back in it. Dirk Nowitzki (41 points) was unstoppable, but the Mavs' defense was just as impressive, holding Miami to 37 percent shooting. Why Miami lost: The quick deficit put Miami in catch-up mode.While having to abandon its halfcourt offense, the Heat couldn't sustain a running game with the Mavs. Miami gave up 30 points on 3-pointers.
The Associated Press writes inThe Toledo Blade: Instead of making a serious run at acquiring Shaquille O'Neal over the summer, the Dallas Mavericks decided to build their team around Dirk Nowitzki. The logic couldn't be faulted yesterday.Nowitzki had 41 points, two off his career high, and Marquis Daniels added 22 to help Dallas beat Miami 113-93, ending the Heat's unbeaten start and their franchise-record 14-game home win streak.
The Chicago Tribunewrites: Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal became the 20th player to reach the 22,000-point plateau Thursday night.His follow-up slam with 3:43 remaining in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks gave him 20 points in the game, and 22,000 points in 814 career regular-season games. He didn't score again and the Heat lost 113-93.
Dave Hyde ofThe South Florida Sun-Sentinelwrites: And now for the most critical, unflattering, disparaging, coldly unfavorable and controversially unappealing analysis of Shaquille O'Neal's game entering Thursday: He had been good.That was it so far. Good. OK. Par. Average. Just ask him. "Shaq is in Miami, and my game is still in the south side of Boca Raton," the Big Geographer said before Thursday's 113-93 loss to Dallas. But you people at the Broward-Palm line can start waving. "It's coming," he said.